Key facts
- Dozens of countries, including the US and major European powers, warned of an alarming deterioration in Sudan's food security.
- They urged parties to the conflict to lift all impediments on humanitarian assistance.
- The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warned of the risk of famine in the coming months.
- The war has displaced more than 14 million people.
- A UN probe said RSF forces carried out mass killings, rapes and forced starvation in a city they besieged and captured last year.
Dozens of countries, including the US and major European powers, issued a joint statement on Thursday warning of an alarming deterioration in Sudan's food security and the potential for famine. They urged the parties involved in the ongoing conflict to lift all impediments on humanitarian assistance and called for increased international funding.
The statement, released by the US State Department, highlighted the risk of famine in the coming months, as warned by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. The UN-backed monitor previously reported that 5.1 million people in Sudan faced severe hunger, exacerbated by the civil war that began in April 2023 and a recent drought.
The conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced over 14 million people. A UN probe in July accused RSF forces of committing mass killings, rapes, and forced starvation in a besieged city, actions described as amounting to genocide.